Really digging the look of this recipe. Camping season starts in May so I am thinking if I brew it near the end November it should be ready for the long weekend.

Quick question about using the smoke malt; If I make a lower gravity version (say around 1.080-1.085) should I use less smoked malt? I was considering doing 2 lbs of Beechwood Rauchmalt. I was also considering the use of Demerara sugar instead of table sugar. Thoughts?

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"There is only two ways do to something; The smart way or the hard way."

Really digging the look of this recipe. Camping season starts in May so I am thinking if I brew it near the end November it should be ready for the long weekend.

Quick question about using the smoke malt; If I make a lower gravity version (say around 1.080-1.085) should I use less smoked malt? I was considering doing 2 lbs of Beechwood Rauchmalt. I was also considering the use of Demerara sugar instead of table sugar. Thoughts?

If you brew in November it should be really good by May. For the smoked malt, I don't think it is necessary to reduce it for a lower OG recipe since it is so mild. If you go with 2 lbs it should still be really good. Demerara sounds like a great substitution for the table sugar! Definitely go with it! If you brew it let me know how it turns out.

The beer turned out really great with the smoked malt. The first few months in bottles it was almost overpowered with smokiness. Today it's great & very enjoyable.

If you drop the gravity, I would certainly recommend you reduce the amount of smoked malt. Your best bet is to determine what percentage of the original total grain bill is smoked malt and keep it constant as you reduce your recipe's bill.

If you drop the gravity, I would certainly recommend you reduce the amount of smoked malt. Your best bet is to determine what percentage of the original total grain bill is smoked malt and keep it constant as you reduce your recipe's bill.

Good point!

Thanks for the advice guys and I will update when I brew it next month.

__________________
"There is only two ways do to something; The smart way or the hard way."

OG - 1.092 (4.5 gallon batch). A bit stronger then I was going for due to a better then expected efficiency, but nothing wrong with that. May long weekend camping in Alberta almost always has snow or freezing rain so this is going to warm my belly.

The house smelled like hickory smoke when I was brewing it. Yum.

__________________
"There is only two ways do to something; The smart way or the hard way."

Well, it'll still be beer! I tried to brew this on January 1st to ring in the new year with new equipment (BeerSmith and eBay hop filter) and my first all grain (BIAB). It wasn't until after my final gravity reading of the day (at 1.070) that I noticed this was a 4 gallon recipe... I'm not sure that I can call it a barleywine at this point anymore; any suggestions?

Well, it'll still be beer! I tried to brew this on January 1st to ring in the new year with new equipment (BeerSmith and eBay hop filter) and my first all grain (BIAB). It wasn't until after my final gravity reading of the day (at 1.070) that I noticed this was a 4 gallon recipe... I'm not sure that I can call it a barleywine at this point anymore; any suggestions?

Cheers!

You're right, it'll still be beer. You could call it a barleywine, of course, though it would be on the weaker end. BJCP guidelines suggest a minimum og 1.080 but they're just guidelines. Calling it an old ale would work if you wanted to fit within stylistic guidelines. I'm sure it'll be delicious whatever you call it.

Well, it'll still be beer! I tried to brew this on January 1st to ring in the new year with new equipment (BeerSmith and eBay hop filter) and my first all grain (BIAB). It wasn't until after my final gravity reading of the day (at 1.070) that I noticed this was a 4 gallon recipe... I'm not sure that I can call it a barleywine at this point anymore; any suggestions?

Cheers!

You could of added some dme to bring it up but I wouldn't recommend doing it now. But if you had done it at high Krausen that would of worked.

Well, it'll still be beer! I tried to brew this on January 1st to ring in the new year with new equipment (BeerSmith and eBay hop filter) and my first all grain (BIAB). It wasn't until after my final gravity reading of the day (at 1.070) that I noticed this was a 4 gallon recipe... I'm not sure that I can call it a barleywine at this point anymore; any suggestions?

Cheers!

The dumbest part of it, is that I added a gallon to bring it up to 5.25 gallons once it was cooled and in the fermenter. Oh well, lesson learned. Read the recipe more completely, and don't brew after a 16 hour workday after a few homebrews!